Cutoff gauge for winding machines



F. G. KRAFT CUTOFF GAUGE FOR WINDING MACHINES Feb. 24, 1953 2SHEETSSHEETl Filed NOV. 26, 1949 INVENTOR. fiedericlf 0/" ATTORNEY Feb.24, 1953 F. G. KRAFT 2,629,181

CUTOFF GAUGE FOR WINDING MACHINES Filed Nov. 26, 1949 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2J2 ii 15 INVENTOR. Qtdfl'LC/fGig/fig? )1 77756;

ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 24, 1953 CUTOFF GAUGE FOR WINDING MACHINESFrederick G. Kraft, Richmond, Va., assignor to E. I. du Pont de Nemoursand Company, Wilmington, Del a corporation of Delaware ApplicationNovember 26, 1949, Serial'No. 129.643

1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to a gauge for adjusting the trip mechanism thatcontrols the size to which packages of yarn, such as cones of yarn, arewound on winding machines.

Cone winding machines are usually equipped with devices on each spindlewhich will shut them off at the position when a cone of yarn of desiredsize is obtained. It is necessary to reset these individual devices whenproduction changes are made which involve producing cones of a differentnominal size, such as 2, 3, 4 and 5 lb. cones. It is highly desirablethat these sizes be held to close tolerances. When cones are oversizedthey will not fit into the packing cases and when undersized, thefinished carton or case contains less poundage than is desired.

One of the methods used in the past to make these adjustments involvedplacing on the stationary spindle a dummy cone of wood or lightweightmetal the same size as that of the cone to be produced. The traversebutton was then brought against the surface of the dummy cone and thetrip mechanism adjusted so that it was approximately in the kickoffposition. Generally, the dummy cone used for making the adjustment wasconstructed so that its outline on the plane normal to the axis ofrotation was not truly circular. In the area where contact foradjustment purposes was to be made, which constituted a strip parallelto the axis of rotation about 1 in width along the entire length of thesloped side, the radius normal to, and at every point along, the axis ofrotation varied from slightly less than to slightly more than. thecorresponding radius of thefinal build-up of yarn desired. Then byslowly rotating the dummy on the stationary spindle from one extreme tothe other and testing the setting made on the trip mechanism at thesepoints, it Was'assumed that the spindle in operation would kick off whenthe yarn package reached this equivalent radius. It has been found,however, in actual practice, that with this type of device the firstcones produced after a new setting. are seldom within the requiredtolerances. One or more readjustment's after the first and succeedingcones are generally necessary.

Another method used for making the adjustment is the use of a wooden orlight metal dummy cone with a true conical surface having diametersslightly below those of the minimum package desired. A trial setting ofthe trip mechanism is made and then yarn is wound onto the dummy fortest of the setting. If the diameter of the yarn after the spindle hasstopped is not '2 correct, a second, and sometimes a third, settin andtrial run is necessary before the desired package size is obtained. Thismethod is accurate but is very time consuming.

It is an object of this invention to provide a new type of setting gaugewhich will overcome the above-mentioned erratic results in cone or otherpackage sizes. A further object is the provision of a new type ofsetting gauge which permits a single setting to be made readily and withaccuracy. Other objects will be apparent from the description thatfollows.

The objects of this invention are accomplished by the use of a gaugecomprising an outer member comprising a work arm mounted parallel to theaxis of rotation substantially along the entire length of theanticipated built up cone of yarn, having a working or measuring surfacesaid work arm being rotatably mounted. on an aligner in such a fashionthat said work arm does not rotate or at most rotates within arestricted arc during the setting while the aligner may be rotated atspeeds corresponding to the winding speeds to be employed. The measuringsurface which contacts the trip mechanism during the setting operation,is coextensive with the work arm and has a curvature normal to the axisof rotation such that its radius normal to. and. at every point along,the axis of rotation varies gradually from slightly less than toslightly more than the corresponding radius at any particular point ofthe final build-up of yarn desired. This variation in radius is verysmall and, accordingly, the traverse button, after setting and uponcontact shuts down the winding machine within close tolerances, allowingfor the production of packages of uniform weight and size. By the use ofthis invention, the setting is made under conditions approximating thoseprevailing during winding, in that the spindle is rotating and vibratingin the normal manner. A very accurate setting is thereby made possible.

The gauge comprises two main components, an aligner shaped to fit thewinding machine cone holder and an outer member rota'tably mountedthereon. The outer member consists, for convenience in manufacture ofseveral parts as follows: a tube, two spacers, a working arm having acurved working surface as described above, and a stop ring. With theapparatus of this invention it .is possible to check a trial setting ofthe trip mechanism with the spindle and traverse guide in motion. Withthis difference, 1. e., the spindle and guide are in normal motioninstead of stationary, the testing of a trial setting is made in muchthe same manner as in the prior art previously discussed. The outermember is held against rotation by hand. Then starting with the traverseguide sweeping back and forth, along its normal path, along the lower orshorter radius edge of the working surface, the whole outer member isrotated slowly so that the guide radius edge of the Working surface.Upon operation of the trip mechanism during this movement of the guideup the slope of the Working surface, a test taking only a matter.ofseconds as compared to several minutes required for the winding of alayer of yarn on a dummy cone, the winder position being tested can bedepended upon to produce a cone of the correct size.

The invention is described .below by reference to the figures which aregiven for illustrative purposes only and of which:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal cross-section of the cone size assembly ofthis invention,

7 Figure 2 is an end view on line 22 of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a front end view on line 33 of Figure 1, V r

- Figure 4 is an end view of the stop ring,

Figure 5 is a side View of the stop ring, and

Figure 6 is'a cross-section of the working arm of the sizershowing thesloping surface of the arm.

Referring to Figure 1, the cone sizer body or aligner i is in the shapeof the conical core normally used. Other shapes may be used for thealigner to make it conform'to the spindle and cone core holder. Thealigner is usually made of steel-but any of the many constructionmaterials may be used. It is adapted to fit snugly on the drivingspindle (not shown) and to be rotated by the spindle under conditionsprevailing during package formation. At one end is a needle bearing 2and at'the other is a ballbearing 3. These bearings permit the rotationof aligner I while the outer member 4, which is composed of supportingtube 5 and work arm I having a working surface 8 said work arm and saidsupporting tube being separated by and attached to spacers 6, remainsstationary. For convenience a ball bearing is used at the small end ofthe rotating member and a needle bearing at the bigger end. Of course,any other types of anti-friction bearings or plain sleeve bearings canbe used as desired.

The whole outer member 4 may be manufactured as a single unit as bymolding and several such units may be made of varying size corresponding to the package sizes desired. More conveniently, the spacers 6are interchangeable and are made of various heights to correspond todesired package sizes. As many sets of spacers may be provided as thereare standard sizes.

In assembling outer member 4, tube 5 is press fitted around bearings 2and 3; and then said tube 5 carrying the bearings is fitted around thealigner I; working arm 1 bearing the working surface 8 is attached tospacers e by cap screws I8; and spacers 6 are attached to arms of supporting tube 5 by means of cap screws 9. The

spacers 6 are attached to supporting tube 5 after the arm I is fastenedto the spacers '6. r

As shown in Figures 2, 3 and 6, the working surface 8 of work arm I issloped so that, as shown in Figure 6, the center surface I I and edgesurfaces I2 and it are of different radial distances from the center Mof the spindle aligner I. Also as shown in the figures, fitted on thesupporting tube 5' of this invention, at the larger end, is a stop ringt5." Figurese and 5 sho'w this sweep moves towardv the upper or maximumring in detail. This ring is provided with slots [6, preferably four innumber. These slots are about 1 inches long and provide for the mountingof stop ring IE to the supporting tube 5 by shou der screws I! withlimited freedom of motion. On ring I5 there may be a finger or bar [8which projects backwards to be engaged on some stationary portion of thewinder frame (not shown). and thereby the outer member 4 from beingcarried continuously around the spindle during the setting.

In'making the setting the operator rotates the outer member bearing theWorking surface on the work arm through the range permitted by the slotsin the ring which angle of rotation permits settings over the entire arcof the working surface. The traverse button machine is traversing to itsnormal stroke. As the operator rotates the working surface in thepermitted range, he checks the traverse button on the working surface atthe middle and at the two edges to see that the windingmachine shutsdown properly. As can be seen three of the shoulder screws bear collarsl9. To the uncollared shoulder screw located on the radial line passingthrough the center of the working surface 8 is fastened one end of awire tension spring 20. The other end is fastened to ring I5 by means ofa machine screw 2! located as shown or so as to keep the ring slotsnormally pressing against the several shoulder screws of rollersthereon.

The effective radius of the assembly corresponds very closely to theradius of the package desired and'obtains, thereby, a package of theweight desired. The working surface on the work arm is not a true arebut the one edge surface it is of slightly shorter radius while theother edge surface 12 is slightly more than the radius at the centersurface il. Thus, the trip mechanism can be adjusted to shut down thewinding machine at a point when the package is very close to the weightof package desired. If a change to a different weight package is to bemade, the working surface and support blocks are detached from member 4and reassembled with a new set of spacer blocks to relocate the workinsurface in accordance with size of package desired.

Using this invention it has been found possible to change from one sizeof yarn package to another without repeated adjustments and checking ofthe new package; whereas, heretofore, it frequently required three orfour and sometimes more separate adjustments, each consuming severalminutes to reach the desired package size. These repeated adjustmentswere not only costly in time but between each adjustment one or morepackages must be wound, measured and weighed to check the results andnot infrequently. these first run packages had to be altered in size. byV stripping or adding more yarn or rewinding, sometimes therebydegrading that production. Through this invention, this uncertainty iselimihated and the spindles can be set to Wind the desired package sizefrom the initial setting of the kick-off cam.

Any departure from the above description which conforms to the presentinvention is intended to be included within the scope of the claim.

I claim:

A gauge for adjusting a trip mechanism for the shut off of a machine forwinding a cone of yarn, which comprises. an aligner adapted to fit androtate with a windingmachine cone holder,

This contact prevents the stop ring 15 said aligner having mountedthereon, so as to be independently partially rotatable thereon about theaxis of rotation of said aligner, a work arm which contacts said tripmechanism during settin operations and which extends substantially 5along the entire length'of the aligner, said work arm having alongitsentire length a surface curved normal to the axis of rotation, saidsurface being so curved and so spaced from said axis of rotation thatits radius normal to, and at every point along the axis of rotation,varies gradually from slightly less to slightly more than thecorresponding radius of the final buiid up of yarn desired.

FREDERICK G. KRAFT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 10 Number Name Date 459,040 Foster Sept. 8, 18911,826,265 Swanson Oct. 6, 1931 2,011,429 Walton et a1 Aug. 13, 1935

